Thursday, July 10, 2014

Govt set to review consumer standards contracts

By The guardian reporte; 9th July 2014

The government has said it is set to review regulations that govern
consumer standard forms contracts in order to protect the rights of its
people.

Speaking to this paper at the 38th Dar es Salaam International Trade
Fair (DITF) Joshua Msoma, Senior Consumer Protection Officer at the Fair
Competition Commission (FCC) said the exercise will be carried out soon
after the Industry and Trade minister has endorsed the regulations.

He said once reviewed, the forms would protect the consumers against the
violations they encounter when purchasing goods and services. “There
are some businessmen who tell their consumers that goods once sold they
are not returnable. This is absolutely not fair," he said.

According to him, consumers have the right to question or get from the
seller anything they purchase without any restrictions. Consumer
protection is derived from articles 11, 14 and 18 of the Constitution of
Tanzania, 1977 which recognize consumers’ rights and their protection
roles.

There are legislation enacted to serve various matters but also protect
the consumers, he said. He mentioned them as the Fair Competition Act
2003, Merchandise Marks Act 1963, Standards Act 1975, Weights and
Measures Act 1982, Occupational Health and Safety and the Food, Drugs
and Cosmetics
Act 2003. The FCC official said the consumer is obliged to understand
the Fair Competition Act and how it can help him in pursuing their
rights and remedies.

He urged consumers to be alert and question the price and quality of
goods and services availed to ensure that they are fairly treated in
business transactions.

Msoma said consumers need to search and use available information before
any purchase to ensure they always make informed and responsible
decisions pertaining to their choice of goods and services. He added
that they have to fight for quality through effective complaints and
refuse to accept shoddy workmanship.

According to him, there are a number of consumer protections provision
in the Fair Completion Act which need to be adhered to. Some of them are
protection against price fixing, output restrictions and collective
boycotts between competitors, which might affect their rights.

According to Benard Elia Kihiyo, a consumer activist, the government in
collaboration with consumer advocacy organizations must educate the
public on consumers’ rights which are awfully low. He said such a
campaign should be conducted in primary and secondary schools because
students are rightly placed to deliver the message to other people on
the rights of consumers, including policy makers.

Kihiyo, who is also the executive director of Tanzania Consumer Advocacy
Society (TCAS) said few years ago the organization conducted a survey
in five regions which showed that the level of awareness of consumers’
rights in Tanzania was very low. Dar es Salaam, which is the most
populous urban area, he said, is leading in lack of the consumers’
rights awareness.

“We believe these campaigns, will increase consumers’ understanding of
their rights and will build their ability to claim for them,” he noted.
“On the other hand, their efforts will make their voices to be heard,
and because there will be high awareness among them, this would attract
responsiveness on their needs and interests,” he said.
Source; The Guardian http://www.ippmedia.com/frontend/index.php?l=69773

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About Tanzania Consumer Advocacy Society

Tanzania Consumer Advocacy Society (TCAS) is a private, voluntary, non governmental, non partisan and non profit making organization that was registered in July 2007 under the Companies Act of 2002, Chapter 212 of the law of Tanzania as a company limited by guarantee.
Our Vision;-
TCAS’s Vision is a Tanzania where consumers are aware of their rights and have ability to claim their rights. Where markets are accountable and more responsive to consumer’s needs and interests.
Our Mission;-
To provide advocacy platform that would make consumers voices heard, raise consumer’s awareness of their rights, build consumer’s ability to claim their rights and make markets accountable and more responsive to consumer’s needs and interests.